This disclosure relates to positive displacement pumps and more particularly to an internal drive system for positive displacement pumps.
Positive displacement pumps discharge a process fluid at a selected flow rate. In a typical positive displacement pump, a fluid displacement member, usually a piston or diaphragm, drives the process fluid through the pump. When the fluid displacement member is drawn in, a suction condition is created in the fluid flow path, which draws process fluid into a fluid cavity from the inlet manifold. The fluid displacement member then reverses direction and forces the process fluid out of the fluid cavity through the outlet manifold.
Air operated double displacement pumps typically employ diaphragms as the fluid displacement members. In an air operated double displacement pump, the two diaphragms are joined by a shaft, and compressed air is the working fluid in the pump. Compressed air is applied to one of two diaphragm chambers, associated with the respective diaphragms. When compressed air is applied to the first diaphragm chamber, the first diaphragm is deflected into the first fluid cavity, which discharges the process fluid from that fluid cavity. Simultaneously, the first diaphragm pulls the shaft, which is connected to the second diaphragm, drawing the second diaphragm in and pulling process fluid into the second fluid cavity. Delivery of compressed air is controlled by an air valve, and the air valve is usually actuated mechanically by the diaphragms. Thus, one diaphragm is pulled in until it causes the actuator to toggle the air valve. Toggling the air valve exhausts the compressed air from the first diaphragm chamber to the atmosphere and introduces fresh compressed air to the second diaphragm chamber, thus causing a reciprocating movement of the respective diaphragms. Alternatively, the first and second fluid displacement members could be pistons instead of diaphragms, and the pump would operate in the same manner.
Hydraulically driven double displacement pumps utilize hydraulic fluid as the working fluid, which allows the pump to operate at much higher pressures than an air driven pump. In a hydraulically driven double displacement pump, hydraulic fluid drives one fluid displacement member into a pumping stroke, while that fluid displacement member is mechanically attached to the second fluid displacement member and thereby pulls the second fluid displacement member into a suction stroke. The use of hydraulic fluid and pistons enables the pump to operate at higher pressures than an air driven diaphragm pump could achieve.
Alternatively, double displacement pumps may be mechanically operated, without the use of air or hydraulic fluid. In these cases, the operation of the pump is essentially similar to an air operated double displacement pump, except compressed air is not used to drive the system. Instead, a reciprocating drive is mechanically connected to both the first fluid displacement member and the second fluid displacement member, and the reciprocating drive drives the two fluid displacement members into suction and pumping strokes.